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Dáil
‹ An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

Homeless children's school transport

Summary

Deputy Mythen asked for transport assistance for homeless children forced to attend their schools from emergency accommodation far away. The Taoiseach initially answered on housing generally, then also grouped the issue with school transport and said he would discuss the anomaly with the Education Minister.

I have sympathy with Deputy Danny Healy Rae’s point about the vetting but it is in the legislation and we would have to review that legislation to see if it can be streamlined with a view to making the whole vetting process more practical.

In relation to Deputy Mythen’s point, I covered housing earlier in a different question, but we simply need to build more houses, more rapidly to deal with the broader issue of housing, which manifests in the manner that he has identified.

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Sorry, I asked about the homeless children and their transport costs.

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Which, sorry?

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Homeless children and their transport costs to school.

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Yes, what-----

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The Taoiseach spoke about building houses but I asked about-----

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The Deputy raised housing as a crisis. What is the specific-----

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What is the Government's policy on providing financial assistance towards the cost of transport for the purpose of homeless children being able to attend their own schools from which they were dramatically shunted?

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The question relates to people who may have moved out of their areas to somewhere else returning to their local school.

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Sorry. At the moment, the existing school transport scheme has to cater for-----

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It does not cover it, no.

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The Deputy has raised an anomaly. I will discuss the point raised with the Minister for Education.

In terms of Deputy Murnane O'Connor's question in respect of section 39 funding, I will talk to the Minister for Health.

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I thank the Taoiseach.

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